Mooloolaba to Sydney

20th November   Mooloolaba  to  Peel Island  54nm

We had a couple of great days in Mooloolaba catching up with friends and could easily have stayed longer. We are nearing the end of our voyage and home is calling. Both Tamara and I can sense we are close to home as it only took us 3 days and 2 nights to sail up on the way. That is a bit of a false sense of security as it is 490 nm down the NSW coast line to get back to RPAYC and that coastline can throw up some very nasty weather. We were lucky on the way up. We had some great conditions and it was an easy trip. We are hoping for the same treatment on the way back.

We said goodbye to our friends Maureen and Steve Allatt who have a Bavaria 42 berthed at the Mooloolaba Marina. We threw the lines off at 10am and headed out of the river mouth and around Point Cartright, across Moreton Bay. Our destination is Peel Island as there is forecast of NW winds in the early ours of tomorrow morning. Our original destination was to be Tangalooma but that can be hellish when any westerly blows. It was a fast trip across the bay with a 20 knot NE wind and 2 knots of current assisting us. At times we were doing 9.5 knots over the ground. We stayed out of the shipping channel but witnessed 7 ships leaving port so it was an easy passage.

It was a good days sailing and we were anchored up at Peel Island just in time for the sunset along with a bout 50 other yachts who all had the same idea of protection from the NW wind.  I recognised some of the yachts we met on the way including a young couple we met at Whitehaven on a yacht called Boris.

We did not put the dinghy in the water so we had sundowners on our own and an early dinner and watched TV which we have not done much of along the way. I have enjoyed not having the idiot box on.
The news was not great with schoolies week on the Gold Coast getting lots of air play. We will be there in 2 days but i doubt it will affect us much. After the Sunday night movie we retired to sleep.

21st  November  Peel Island to  Dux Anchorage   27nm

The NW winds came but did not reach the velocity that was predicted so it was a very peaceful night rest.
I called up Splash on the radio early, as we wanted to get an early start. We are travelling along the inside of Moreton and Stradbroke Islands in amongst all the islands of Moreton Bay and along the waterways of the broadwater to the Gold Coast. This is a more difficult navigational situation as there are a lot of determinates to consider. You have the tides, the shallow water and the different waterways you can take. Another added complication is the resulting silting up of the water ways from the QLD floods last summer. The navigational marks can be confusing at times and they can be moved since the charts were manufactured.

We headed off after the morning cup of tea and cereal for breakfast. The tide was high early which meant a run out tide, which would slow us, and also meant travelling up the shallow waterways on a falling tide until lunchtime when it would start to come back in. If you run aground on a falling tide and you lodge hard in the mud with the keel you have very little chance of getting off unless there is immediate assistance around.

We travelled to the east side of Macleay Island  and it was shallow. We had to proceed at about 2 knots.
A ferry went past us when we were in very shallow water and the wash of the ferry bounced us up and down with keel scraping the mud as we went down in the trough of the waves.

The shallow alarm on the depth sounder was going off all day and we had to concentrate looking at paper charts, chart plotters and the Beacon to Beacon publication of QLD waterways along with looking for the next marks visually through the binoculars. Despite all this we ran aground at very near low tide near a starboard navigational beacon when we had the jib up and sailing. We came to a peaceful and gentle stop. I quickly started the engine and put it in reverse while furling the headsail. We came off very easily and decided we would motor for awhile until the depth increased.

Sea birds seem to like navigation marks to house their nests

We arrived at Jacobs Well at 3pm but had to wait for the hight tide at 6pm before we could navigate the next stretch of the main channel. We had an afternoon nap while we waited.

At 5.30pm we decided to give it a go.

No problems as we motored the next 4 nm to Dux anchorage. The depth was about 300mm under the keel over the shallow bits.

We arrived at Dux anchorage just on sun set. Splash went ahead as they had been there on the way up north. I saw them stop suddenly as they ran aground on a mud bank. Peter put the boat in reverse but no luck. I had to be careful manoeuvring close to him as I did not want Billabong in the same situation. I could not get close enough to him to throw a rope as our depth sounder was showing .1 of a meter.
I anchored up wind of him and took the two longest lines I had and swam them down. Still could not reach him. luckily a man came over in a dinghy and gave us a hand. After tying the ropes together I tried to pull Splash off but not luck. Splash had his engine on full steam ahead, as we did and the dinghy was pushing as well. We had to pull Splash over so I called Peter on the VHF and suggest he get the spinnaker halyard, add a good 20 meters and give that to the man in the dinghy. After 10 minutes we finally had Splash free.
It was touch and go there for a while as the tide was falling and it could have been a long and uncomfortable night for them stuck in the mud.

We found some deep water to anchor in and Splash came over for dinner of Russian pies that Tamara had prepared in the afternoon.
It was a good celebration getting them off the mud.


22nd November   Dux Anchorage to Bum's Bay 11nm

We had to have an early start as high tide was at 6am and we did not want to risk hitting a sand bank or a mud bank on a falling tide. We left the anchorage at 7.30am and used the run out tide to go quickly into the Broadwater and on to the Gold Coast. On the way we saw the high rise buildings that dominate the sky line of the Gold Coast and we went past Sovereign Islands which is where homes cost a lot of money.

Motoring down the Broadwater - Our first glimpse of the Gold Coast 

Millionaires road on Sovereign Island

We arrived at 10.30am and dropped the anchor in Bum's bay. So aptly named as it is a good anchorage that boaties can go and pay no money. Also I think boaties who are on the bones of their bum with no money tend to congregate here. Judging by the standard of some of the yachts the bay is rightly named. It is not exactly quiet either with helicopters flying over head most of the day. They must be sight seeing helicopters.

We will go into the Southport Yacht Club marina tomorrow so we can get some things done and walk the streets and get some exercise.

We were invited to Splash for a dinner of meatloaf and it was another great meal. We discussed our plans for our passage to Sydney. We looked at the 7 day forecast and Saturday looks the best. We could be in Port Stephens by Wednesday if the weather holds true.

23^rd 24^th November   Southport Yacht Club

We spent a quiet night at Bum’s Bay and had a lazy morning with a late breakfast. More cruisers were filling the bay waiting for the good weather to head south. We decided after looking at the weather forecast and a discussion with Splash that Saturday would be best day to depart.

I had a couple of things to do in Southport so we waved goodbye to Splash and headed to the Southport Yacht Club. I needed to get the BBQ fixed as it was leaking gas and also get the guys from TMQ to look at the forward looking sonar I put on the boat before leaving. I was not happy with the way it performed so may as well get it fixed while under warranty.

Tamara spent the afternoon washing and going for a walk while I waited for the guys to look at the sonar. They arrived and all they could do was to replace the transducer which is all the stock they had. I can only test it in the ocean so will wait and see if the transducer is the problem.

We had a great dinner at the Southport Yacht Club and a relaxing evening.

That night it rained and rained. Parts of the Gold Coast received 100mm of rain. It was still raining all day until the afternoon. I took the BBQ to the manufacturers and they replaced all the working parts so it is like new.  A much cheaper option than buying a new BBQ!!

All the jobs were done and the rain cleared so we went for a walk along Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise.  You can see all the effort they go to protect “Schoolies” from harm’s way. A lot of tax payer’s money spent to protect them from mishaps and disasters while having fun. Yet most of the harm is self inflicted!!

We saw “schoolies”,  “toolies” and “foolies” and  I think there should be another name “Goolies” for us older folk -  Grumpy Oldies.

We had another nice dinner at the Southport Yacht Club before retiring.

25^th 26^th 27^th November     Southport to Broken Bay  376nm

Another lovely sleep in and a lazy breakfast and then it was off to the shops to get some fresh provisions for the trip down. We walked several kilometres to Australia Fair and bought what we needed and caught the bus back. We did not need much as we are nearing the end of the trip.

At midday we departed the yacht club and headed back to Bum’s Bay and meet up with Splash.

The weather had improved and was not what was forecast. It was sunny with a light 10 knot NE wind blowing. We came alongside Splash where Peter and Christine were resting in the cockpit reading. The bay had emptied of cruising yachts and I asked “where have they all gone?” the reply “they all left this morning as the weather is better”

Peter added “we should be going today!!”  I agreed the weather had improved and said “do you want to?” the answer was “yes let’s go”

I said I would look at the latest weather and have lunch and get back to him. I dropped the anchor and we ate lunch and discussed should we go. Tamara said yes as she is eager to get home and see Oliver the grandson. I was reluctant as I don’t like changing plans. I looked at the weather and the live readings down the coast at Point Danger, Cape Byron, Ballina were all good and it was all light winds and the stormy weather had dissipated. The swell and waves also looked like it had dropped.

The wind was forecast to increase from the north during the night which would make it a pleasant sail although the sea would still have south swell and a confused wind wave for a while until the wind remodelled the waves into one direction. The forecast of rain squalls was also off-putting as these have the potential to increase winds way above the forecast for a brief period of time.

I reluctantly agreed to go and said to Peter we need until 4pm to get ready and pre cook meals we would need on the way. He agreed so I had a sleep while Tamara cooked. The boat was ready and as I would be doing most of the night watch so I needed some sleep.

At 4pm we raised the anchor and at 4.30pm we crossed the Seaway Bar headed south on a course for a safe passage outside of Point Danger. The wind was light but the weather was good and we were able to sail and maintain 6 knots speed over the ground with a good current assisting us south. The sea state was relatively calm.  There was no rain either although clouds out to sea did look rain bearing.

The sun went down and the wind picked up as per the forecast and we were able to maintain good speed right through the night. It was not long before the Gold Coast was out of sight.

In any other country you would think it is a major city. No. Its just the Gold Coast with so many units it is like a concrete jungle

We passed Cape Byron at midnight (The most easterly point of Australia) and avoided all the trawlers working. The weather had been very bad so they were all kept in port and were now out doing their thing. By this time the sea state was very confused and did not make going down stairs very comfortable.  We were glad we had prepared the cooked meals. The swell was from the south and east while the wind waves were from the north east. The auto pilot was having difficulty keeping the heading but managed. Peter on Splash reported he had to hand steer as his auto pilot did not cope at all. He had done a number of involuntary gybes with the auto pilot on. They spilt their dinner of spaghetti and meatballs all over the cockpit.

The east coast current gave us a real good ride down the coast. At times we were travelling at 13 knots speed over the ground while surfing down waves. The max speed over the ground I saw was 13.7 knots while through the water our maximum speed was 11.7 knots. We had 2 knots of current assisting us.

At midday we were a beam of Coffs harbour.  Just 20 hours to get there.

At 4.30pm we had notched up 24 hours and had covered an incredible 190 nm. While the log only showed 156nm we had gained 34nm from the current. We were well offshore and could not see land.

We continued on into the night and by dawn we were well off the coast and on the edge of the continental shelf in over 1000 meters of water. This was where the current is strongest. We noticed many ships on the AIS system just drifting southwards in the current way out to sea. One ship we saw on the AIS was drifting at 2.6 knots. I believe they do this to save fuel while waiting for their turn in the queue to load coal at Newcastle. Why not let nature assist as they can wait up to 4 weeks in the queue. They must get off the coast up north and spend weeks drifting down.

It had rained a bit through the night and the seas were still not good. It seemed the further south the bigger the waves. The storm was at its strongest off Southwest rocks two days earlier so we still had to contend with the aftermath. Peter reported the coffee pot went sprawling across the cockpit spilling its contents everywhere.

It continued to rain for most of the day and the wind continued to push us down the coast. The wind was northerly up to 25 knots preceding the rain squalls we had and we sailed with a reefed main only. I put the reef in the mainly to slow us down a bit so Splash could keep up but it was a good idea anyway to depower the boat in case we got anything stronger. At 4.30pm we decided to head back into the coast to try and get better use of the North West winds that were predicted.  The winds had already clocked around to the north. We needed to gybe on to starboard but rather than do that in 25 knots and risk doing damage I put the motor on turned around into the wind.  I also reached across the wind to eat up some time so that Splash could catch up and be closer going into the night. While Billabong at 44 feet might be quicker than Splash at 39 feet, we can do things to slow the yacht down and keep together. Splash had to motor at times to keep up with us but that was a small price to pay. There is a lot of comfort in cruising in company when there are only two of you on board.  

At 4.30 pm we had covered 359nm over the ground from the Gold coast Seaway and 307nm through the water. The current had provided us with 52 “free miles” That is a saving of 9 hours at 6 knots!!.

The last 2 hours of daylight saw the clouds disappear and brighten up. The sun came out and dried the yacht from the rain. The wind eased a bit and went around to the North West as per the forecast.

The sky cleared and the rain disappeared. That's Splash just behind us.

Conditions became pleasant and as this was to be our last night at sea, we had happy hour. A beer each as the sun went down had us both feeling good.

We had a nice dinner of chicken drumsticks in a vegetable stew that Tamara had cooked the day before and we were ready for the night.

During the night the wind became lighter and the seas became flatter which made for a fantastic night. The yacht glided along on a reach with headsail and main fully drawing. I kept the 1^st reef in even though I did not need to but it kept us along side Splash. Just brilliant conditions. There was no moon but the stars were as bright as bright. When you cruise it is nights like this that make it all worthwhile. Even Tamara could not believe how beautiful the night was. Shooting stars came thick and fast. Her watch was from 2am to 5am and to sit and watch the best light show in the universe was an unbelievable experience she will never forget. It was a night that she thought could never happen at sea!!

It was cool in the early hours of morning. A lot cooler than we expected because the wind was blowing from the west off the land.  It is unusual to get westerlies at this time of the year. Lucky we had good sea blankets which kept us very warm. The warm clothes we had worn on the way up were packed away under the front bunk and they would be difficult to get to. The sea temperature had fallen dramatically from what we were used to in QLD waters being a pleasant 25 degrees to 18 degrees.

Despite the coolness it was a brilliant sunny day with not one cloud in the sky. A lovely sunrise and dolphins came and greeted us.

Our last Sunrise of the voyage

By 10 am we were off Port Stephens and we had made the decision to keep going through to Broken Bay. Conditions were still good and we were sailing nicely so it was best to spend another 10 hours at sea and get it over and done with and get the yacht back to its berth at RPAYC.

We were sailing very easily.

We had current with us which would help to push us down the coast and the forecast of northwest winds in the morning would get us close to Broken Bay before a light south westerly change came through. We could handle this. So we thought!!

We passed Point Stephens light house, but we were well out to sea and were heading across Stockton Bight when the wind blasted in from the South West and was quite cold. Back on with the windcheater and tracky daks. The wind got up to 25 knots so we had to put the reef back in that I pulled out at dawn and we were able to handle the conditions better. We were not feeling good about our decision to bypass Port Stephens. After about an hour the wind eased somewhat and changed direction which made things more bearable, then it slowly dissipated and we had to motor.

Before too long the wind came back and it was a very cold wind from the South West and it got stronger before going south and then south east before it too died. Back on with the motor in calm conditions. We were a beam of Newcastle and again the wind came in from south west and blew hard and went to the South and stayed there but petered out again. Back on with the motor. The waves were all over the place. Very uncomfortable.

We could not relax. The conditions changed every half hour. I thought I was going to get some sleep during the day to make up for the previous night. Not to be.

To make matter worse the current changed 180 degrees and slowed our progress.

This was a tough day at the office and we were really tired from the previous 48 hours.

At 5.30pm NSW time we had been sailing for 48 hours and had covered 359nm over the ground. We averaged 180 miles a day which a lot of cruiser would be very happy with. Through the water the speed log read 307 nm. That meant we had 52 nm of current assist.  Not now, the current was against us.

We battled on and finally got into Broken Bay and passed Lion Island at 8pm NSW time.

Our final sunset. Entering Broken Bay.

We were finally home!!! Yippee.

Splash was a fair way behind us. We moved ahead of them during the day as our plan was to go into Refuge Bay and spend the night there before going to the yacht club and cleaning up the yacht. I was cooking our final meal together of fish green curry. By the time Splash rafted up we were showered and had dinner underway.

We moored near the waterfall at Refuge Bay and toasted our home coming and a fantastic rally with two bottles of champagne. We were all like zombies suffering from sleep deprivation. We were all wondering why we left the beautiful surrounds of Pittwater and put ourselves through this!!

Why would you ever leave the tranquillity of Pittwater and the picturesque surrounds to travel to QLD?

I know the answer – Adventure.  It certainly makes you appreciate what we have here in Pittwater.

The NSW coast can be tough. We had a good run for the first 40 hours but the next 12 hours were hard.

The final stats for the 52 hour voyage were:-

·         Over the ground  - 376nm covered at an average of 7.23knots

·         Through the water   - 326nm travelled at an average of 6.26knots.

·         Motoring   -  11 hours =  28 litres of diesel.

Catching the East Coast current is very important when travelling south. It can save a lot of time. Perhaps we should have gone further out to sea and not come in until we get closer to Sydney.

We have learnt a lot on our voyage to Lizard Island and back.

It was a voyage without a major incident to us and that we are very thankful for. We heard some horror stories of yachts sinking, being abandoned with all crew rescued etc. A part from a yacht being struck with lightning at Lady Musgrave when we were not there, none of the RPAYC Coral Coast rally yachts reported any major mishaps or serious damage. One skipper received a back injury which required surgery on his return to Sydney.

Everything on the yacht worked well. No major breakages or break downs. The worst we had was gas leaking from the BBQ and diesel leaking out of the top of the tank when I over filled it. The BBQ got repaired and everything works just the same as we left Sydney.

The last 6 and half months have been a wonderful and enjoyable experience. This has been a goal of mine for many years. Tamara accompanied me on most of it apart from a few breaks to return to Sydney for the birth of her grandchild and a trip to Russia. Tamara says no more, but I bet she will be on the next voyage expected in 2013!! We were accompanied by great friends when Tamara was not on board. Eric Knowles crewed from Bundaberg to Mackay, Peter and Donna Kent, who crewed between Mackay and the Whitsundays. Graham Lithgow crewed between Airlie Beach and Cairns and Peter Russell between Airlie Beach and Mackay on the return leg. Thanks to these friends for assisting and keeping me company while Tamara was absent. Graham Jennings and Wayne Jarman joined Billabong for 6 days at the Whitsundays and we had fun trying to find fish and having fun relaxing despite the bad weather.

We have made many new cruising friends on the way. None more than Peter and Chris Wilson, from “Splash”.  

Peter and Christine on Splash rafting up with Billabong - Refuge Bay Pittwater

We cruised in company to Lizard Island and back and shared some great experiences. We cooked many meals for each other, which to me were a highlight as it meant one couple having a night off from the cooking and cleaning duties which can be tiresome when doing 3 meals a day. Just like going to a restaurant without the bill!! It also gave each other new recipes and meals we would not have experienced. Especially the fish recipes. We made joint decisions on navigation and passage planning which proved valuable as two heads are better than one. We seemed to make the best decisions and chose the best weather windows to make our passages. It was great having friends close by. Thanks Peter and Chris for the friendship and the memories.

Peter and Chris - Thanks for the memories and the friendship

Between Peter and I we caught over 300 kilos of fish while on the trip which greatly supplemented our food supplies. We still have 3 pieces of steak in the freezer that we left Sydney with!! Splash has food in the freezer too that they left Sydney with. I guess we saved a lot of money not buying meat. Never did I get sick of eating fish, but towards the end I got sick of filleting fish.

We were away for 185 days and we covered 3500 nm to Lizard Island and back and probably had better weather than most cruisers experience going north. It was an exceptional year for the weather. I suppose we were just lucky but we did watch the weather forecasts and chose wisely when to go and when to stay in port. Often we had to motor sail to get to our destination in time because we chose better weather to make passage.
Billabong motored for 451 hours during the voyage and consumed 1137 litres of diesel at an average of 2.5 litres per hour. Thank the stars they don't charge for wind!!

Casting the lines off and heading north is one of the best decisions of my life. To experience the freedom of cruising is wonderful and provided a lot of great memories. I can understand why so many people live aboard and cruise their yachts with no time tables and sometimes no specific destination in mind. They are like a cork in the ocean blown one direction by the wind and tugged another way by the tide. Or are they just like the whales and follow the sun north in winter and south in summer. I would like to do it again many times. Perhaps we will be back cruising in 2013.  It will be hard to adjust back into suburbia for awhile and sleeping in a bed that does not move!!

I recommend any one who has yearned to cruise north to QLD to go ahead and just do it.  

We did.

I am much better for the experience

Mackay to Mooloolaba

3rd November   Mackay to Middle Percy Island - West Bay   65nm

We left Mackay marina at first light for the long haul to Middle Percy Island.

Mackay Marina at dawn

 Seas were flat and no wind so we had to motor sail the whole way. The ocean was full of the algal bloom and it made for glassy conditions, but the smell of the rotting algae was unbearable in some areas.
A feature of the day were the schools of white bait all across the ocean. Everywhere you looked there were fish jumping to avoid the pelagic predators below.
We trawled lines through them at first with no success. They were only intent on gorging themselves with bait fish. The artificial tempters that I had so much success with did not work.
I changed lures to smaller ones that looked like a bait fish.
Immediate success with a nice spotted mackerel and then followed up with a nice spanish mackerel just before Middle Percy Island. Enough fish for at least 4 meals with Splash over the coming days.
I had some fish to fillet so Peter from Splash put his dinghy in the water so we could all visit the famous A Frame called the "Percy Hilton"

the A Frame called "Percy Hilton" at West Beach  Middle Percy

It was about 4.30 before we landed on the beach so we could visit the Percy Hilton and place our yacht name plate in the A Frame. It has been historical for over 60 years for passing boaties to leave a momento of their landing on Middle Percy island. They say there are over 5000 boat plaques erected in the A Frame. The oldest I saw was a yacht in 1950 deposited its plaque.

HMAS Australia 1950

We had a good look around and found a number of yachts that I have known and travelled with over the years.   I sailed on a yacht called "Flying Turtle" to the Whitsundays in 2001 and we left our name plate but could not find it this time.

Leaving Billabong's Plaque

We left our name plate on the 2nd floor of the Percy Hilton so all could see it when they venture up the stairs.

Billabong's plaque deposited along with the 5000 plus others

We had drinks on the beach and watched the sun go down and it was back to the yachts for dinner. - Pan fried spotted mackerel with bok choy. It was magnificent.

4th November   Middle Percy Island to Pearl Bay   53 nm

Another early start to get on the water to make our way south as the weather allows. We are expecting a southerly change tomorrow so we figured we needed a good SE anchorage to hang out for a day. Pearl Bay is one of the prettiest anchorages on the coast in the right conditions.
It was a lovely passage with light winds early and then a slight sea breeze in the afternoon which enabled us to sail for the last 4 hours.
Again the ocean was alive with fish life. I was not trying real hard as we had so much fish on board. I was trying for a yellow fin tuna but instead caught a mackerel tuna which we kept for some sashimi and the rest for bait.
We arrived in Pearl bay and there was no swell so we anchored and launched our dinghy as we were having dinner on Splash. We supplied the fish and Chris cooked up a delightful spaghetti with peas, lime and fish. Very tasty.

Billabong anchored peacefully in another spectacular sunset

5th November   Pearl Bay to Port Clinton   8nm

We woke in the early hours of the morning when the southerly change came in. The wind kept us side on to the swell and we rolled very wildly. It was impossible to sleep. At first light we got up and had a cup of tea in the cockpit and made a decision we had to up anchor and go around to Port Clinton which is better protected from the swell.
It was sad to leave such a pretty spot as I wanted to spend the day there and explore the beaches. We did not have time on the way up north and we missed it again on the way back.
We motored around the headland to Port Clinton in very lumpy conditions and sought shelter from the waves and swell inside.
After a late breakfast we had a sleep and woke at 3pm.
Today is a lazy day. No fishing, just reading and sleeping.

In the afternoon we heard on the VHF radio of another boat sinking. This was at Island Head Creek just 10nm from where we were. They sank at 5am this morning when their 16m shark cat hit a rocky outcrop. Two adults and two children were rescued by helicopter. They bought the boat 2 days ago and they were a West Australian family. This is the second boat to sink in a week around us. A sailing cat called Felix hit a submerged object off Middle Percy Island and sunk last Saturday. Hope it is not a bad omen for us.

We had drinks on Splash and Chris cooked another great dish. Fish pie.
We are in a flat anchorage and looking forward to a good sleep. We make for Great Kepple Island tomorrow.

6th November   Port Clinton to Great Kepple Island

We only have 45nm to go to Great Kepple Island so we did not require an early start.
After breakfast we weighed anchor at around 9am and pulled the mainsail up. With a run out tide and the wind from the east the entrance to Port Clinton will be lumpy. It sure was. We took our time getting out and once we cleared the headland the seas settled down and we had a great sail all the way. The wind was about 12 knots from the east and we reached down the coast. The sea was alive we bait fish and sea birds everywhere. I got bored so I put the line out with some different lures and bingo with in 15 minutes we had a spotted mackerel. Oh well saves taking anything out of the freezer.
Tamara said it was her turn to cook a Russian fish pie so we had about one and a half kilos of fish to go in it.

We arrived at Great Kepple earlier than expected as we had a great run and the current was in our favour.
The water is clear and so we had a swim and were ready for 5pm drinks.

Tamara cooked dinner and Splash came over for the Russian fish pie. And true to Russian form, there was too much food to eat.
That was another great day to be on the water. Good wind, good fish, good company and a bright sunny day.
I call those profitable days. The wind is free, I used very little diesel and caught dinner for 4 people. It does not get any better!!

7th and 8th November   Great Keple Island to Lady Musgrave Reef  97nm

We spent the first part of the day ashore on the Island having a look at what used to be a great holiday destination for many Australians and overseas back packers.

The great shark on Great Kepple Island

The resort is now closed and all fenced up and while there are many visitors from the mainland in commercial and private craft all the businesses on the island are struggling. The high aussie dollar has made these resorts unprofitable. A developer has purchased the resort and wants to turn it into another Hamilton Island type destination with a marina and 5 star accommodation and upgrade the air strip for domestic flights. Speaking with one of the shop owners everyone is against it so I doubt it will proceed.

Resort beach at Great Kepple

Back to the yachts for lunch and a afternoon sleep in preparation of our long overnight sail to Lady Musgrave. We try to avoid overnight sails but this one was a necessity as there is no where with relative safety to stay on the way. We have to reach the island during the day as there is a very narrow entrance through the reef and we must have high sun to avoid hitting coral reefs. It is also best to enter the lagoon at low tide and that is 1pm on the 8th.

We left Great Kepple Island at 4pm and sailed for about 3 hours when the wind died and headed us. We then motor sailed through the night with a full moon on a sparkling sea. Murphy's Law strikes. At about 9pm our navigation lights on the bow went out. As we were in company with Splash I dropped behind them and we followed in a procession. I did not want to go on the bow and see what the problem was as I would get wet. With the steaming light on and Splash in front and a moonlit night we were no threat to navigation.

We arrived at Lady Musgrave at noon after motor sailing for 18 hours. Murphy's Law occurs regularly on yachts and today was no exception. As we approached the island the high temperature alarm on the motor went off. I immediately idled the engine but it continued so I shut it down and we sailed for the next half hour tacking up to the entrance of the lagoon.

I could not find the problem and it is is risky to sail through the entrance of the lagoon with reef so near. After sailing for a half hour we furled the head sail and kept the main up. I started the engine and good news no temperature alarm. I decided we would sail in through the passage with motor on idle in case any thing went wrong. The wind was from the east so it was a perfect angle to get into the lagoon.
Once in we sailed down to our chosen anchorage and dropped the main and used the engine to position ourselves. We had lunch and a sleep for an hour and I then set about fixing the navigation light  ( which was simply a blown globe) and sorting the engine out. I could find no fault and I am a bit bewildered as to why it went off in the first place.

Any way we had found our piece of paradise and we really enjoyed sundowners at 5 o'clock.

Click on the link to see an arial view of Lady Musgrave. You can see the narrow entrance of the lagoon!!

Lady Musgrave Reef






9th and 10th November    Lady Musgrave Reef


This place is special. When the weather is perfect it is a haven for boaties. However when the wind blows the lagoon offers little protection and many a yachtie has spent a miserable time anchored here waiting for the conditions to improve. We were lucky. The wind eased on the 9th and completely dropped on the 10th to zero. It was a glass out. Never have I seen water as clear as inside the lagoon. We were anchored in 8-10 meters and you could see every fish under the boat.

The waters are crystal clear

A Black Noddy Tern

sea bird guarding the egg

sea bird eggs were laid on rocks

We went ashore and walked the island. It was bird breeding season and Turtle egg laying season. We saw many birds and their nests and many Turtle tracks and big sand dug outs where they have laid their eggs. The young will hatch in Feb/Mar and take their chances in the big ocean.
We spent our time swimming, snorkelling, fishing,eating, drinking, sleeping and anything else to do with a good vacation.


It was so easy to catch fish. We ate so many and I never thought I would say it but " I am sick of filleting fish".  


I am not sick of catching them though.


We were in our element. Our own paradise. 


It reminds me of this song. Knee Deep - Zac Brown band featuring Jimmy Buffet


Gonna put the world away for a minute
Pretend I don't live in it
Sunshine gonna wash my blues away
Had sweet love but I lost it
She Got too close so I fought it
Now I'm lost in the world tryin to find me a better way

Wishin' I was
Knee deep in the water somewhere
got the blue sky, breeze and it don't seem fair
the only worry in the world
is the tide gonna reach my chair
Sunrise, there's a fire in the sky
never been so happy
never felt so high
and I think I might've found me my own kind of paradise

Wrote a note, said "Be back in a minute"
Bought a boat and I sailed off in it
Don't think anybody's gonna miss me anyway
Mind on a permenant vacation
The ocean is my only medication
Wishin' my condition ain't ever gonna go away

Now I'm knee deep in the water somewhere
Got the blue sky breeze blowin' wind thru my hair
Only worry in the world
is the tide gonna reach my chair
Sunrise, there's a fire in the sky
never been so happy
never felt so high
and I think I might've found me my own kind of paradise

This champagne shore watchin' over me
It's a sweet sweet life livin' by the salty sea
One day you can be as lost as me
Change your geography and maybe you might be

Knee deep in the water somewhere
got the blue sky breeze blowin' wind thru my hair
only worry in the world
is the tide gonna reach my chair
Sunrise, there's a fire in the sky
never been so happy
never felt so high
and I think I might've found me my own kind of paradise

Come on in
the waters nice
find yourself a little slice
grab a bag
pack it ligth you'll never know until you try
when you lose yourself 
you find a key to paradise


It is a very happy tune if you google it you will know what i mean.


We were very lucky to experience glassy conditions which is rare for lady Musgrave reef.

It is hard to see where the sky meets the water

Glassy conditions are spectacular at coral reefs 

Coral Reef

We shared some great moments with Peter and Chris on Splash. We had some great meals and some great times. 5 o'clock drinks were extra special with the sun setting behind the island.

Massive turtles everywhere in the lagoon

The turtles were doing it too!!!  at Lady Musgrave Reef

We witnessed turtles "making love" which seemed very cumbersome when you are that big - but they managed. The males were having a good time as they waited in the lagoon for the females. There were some very big turtles and it takes them awhile to do it!!




11th November     Lady Musgrave Reef to Port Bundaberg  56nm




The weather forecast was still very good for the next few days but we have to head south. We are akin to the migratory birds heading south for summer. While we love this place and we were blessed with a day of glassy conditions which is rare, it is time to head for home.


We made the decision in the morning we should exit the lagoon at 3.30pm and anchor outside the lagoon and make for a 3am start to Bundaberg so we arrive at lunch time and have the afternoon to get a few things done, like refuelling and washing etc. We plan to hire a car on the 13th and drive to a town called 1770. Obviously named after Cooks discovery tour of the east coast of Australia.


We exited the lagoon on schedule and when we arrived at our anchoring place (which is shown in the guide) I felt very uncomfortable about it. There was reef and coral heads everywhere which is a recipe for getting ones anchor caught. If we could not raise the anchor at 3pm we would be stuck there until the morning. Not a nice feeling to be tied to the bottom and no chance of shifting the yacht if conditions deteriorated. A few conversations took place between Splash and Billabong on the VHF radio and it was decided we should sail through the night to Bundaberg.  A decision we did not like but had no choice now that we had left the lagoon.
We quickly secured the yacht for sailing and unfurled the jib and settled into the task. We were flying along at 6-7 knots under jib only and the wind steadily increased to 20 knots. It was just off a windward work which made it it reasonably comfortable in the conditions. We had a few rain squalls come through but nothing we could not handle. We were flying down the coast and arrived at the channel leads at 1pm. We entered the Burnett River and found an anchoring position and out of the main channel right near the marina and had tea and toast and went to sleep at 2pm.


It was a relief to be here after a indifferent start however we got here much sooner than expected. That means we will have a bit more time to get things done.


12th November   Bundaberg


I woke up at 6am and got up to have the usual morning cup of tea in the cockpit. I was a bit tired but ok after the night sail. Where we anchored was near the marina and I could see a yacht with federal police officers and customs agents all over it. My first thought was they had come in on the Port to Port rally and they were clearing customs. When I saw them filming as well as many police officers wearing gloves I knew something else was up.


At about 10am we raised the anchor and went to the fuel dock to get some fuel and then to our allocated berths. When we got to the dock which was the same jetty as the yacht with the police all over it, we found it was a big drug bust. A young Spanish couple who had purchased the yacht in NZ and sailed in on the Port to Port rally were arrested and in possession of a large amount of drugs. The news camera crews were interviewing police officers and customs, so it will be on the news tonight. I guess we will hear more than the dock gossip which is on every ones lips at the marina and so many different stories.
Ironically the yacht is called Friday Freedom and they were arrested and detained on a Friday. Reports of 43kg of cocaine will see their freedom taken from them for a while.


Since I wrote this we have now seen television and newspaper reports that this was the 5th biggest drug bust in Australia's history. 300kg of cocaine worth an estimated $78million.
The Spanish couple and 2 other Spanish males have been charged.

Excitement - we arrived at the marina in the middle of a drug bust

We will be spending at least 2 days at the marina before heading to Fraser Island and the Great Sandy Straits to cross the Wide Bay Bar and on to Mooloolaba. We will hire a car and do some sight seeing and visit the township of 1770.






14th November   Bundaberg to Great Sandy Straits - Fraser Island South Whitecliffs 62nm


We left Bundaberg after our brief stay with sight seeing tour up to the township of 1770. A very nice little seaside haven and I can see why so many people are attracted. Reminded me of Dunsborough in the south west of WA as a great summer holiday destination before all the development took place.

The ocean entrance to 1770

The news reports of the drug bust came thick and fast. It was the 5th largest haul in Australia's history (300kg worth an estimated $78m)


We threw the dock lines off at 7am and motored out of the Burnett River in a light NE which slowly strengthened all day to about 18 knots.


We sailed all the way in perfect conditions and we caught a very large Tuna which took over 20 minutes to get on board. It reeled off over 200 meters of line before I could slow it down. It was not hooked in the mouth but in the under belly which made it more difficult to reel in. I caught this on the game rod with light line so it was a lot of excitement reeling it in. I was hoping for a big Spanish Mackerel or a Spotted Mackerel but we got Tuna instead. Gave us a lot of sashimi which we shared with Splash.

A lot of sashimi!!

Tamara also cooked up a Linguini pasta with Tuna chunks in it for dinner which was nice but would have been better with white fish flesh.


We anchored at South Whitecliffs well up the Great Sandy Straits off Fraser Island as the sun was going down. The last 4 hours we were pushing against the outgoing tide which slowed our progress considerably.


It was an early night after the sashimi and pasta but we can sleep in tomorrow as we have to wait until midday before we can cross the shallows at high tide which is only 6nm from where we have anchored.


15th November   Great Sandy Straits   South Whitecliffs to Inskip point  28nm


We had a great sleep in and a lazy breakfast before we departed at 9.30am. The weather still fantastic with a forecast of 31 degrees and light northerly winds. We motored all the way through to Inskip Point and dropped the anchor.
It was an easy day and nothing really to write about.


We had an early dinner and watched some TV and went to bed early in preparation for our 5am bar crossing.


16th November   Wide Bay Bar to Mooloolaba  58nm


We were woken at 5am with some loud shouts from Splash. I forgot to set an alarm and we slept in. I scrambled up stairs to see Splash motoring off towards the entrance.
We scrambled around and got the anchor up and put the kettle on for an early morning cuppa.
We were about 15 minutes behind them so no harm done.
We put our life jackets on as it is compulsory to have life jackets on for any bar crossings. It was very calm and it looked like they were not needed, but we have to wear them.

A very flat crossing of the Wide Bay Bar

It took an hour to clear the entrance and the bar and get into deep water when we settled down to some breakfast. The north east wind was light to start with but by about 10 am we were able to switch the motor off and sail. It was an extremely pleasant sail down the coast past Noosa. We saw a number of dolphins, turtles and a shark.  We caught no fish despite it looking like a perfect day to catch one.

Double Island Point Light House

We arrived into the Mooloolaba Marina at 3pm and washed the boat down and had a gloriously long shower.


We will be here for 4 nights and will catch up with some friends from my Papua New Guinea days.


Our next leg will be from Mooloolaba to Sydney.

Townsville to Mackay

12th & 13th October    Townsville to Hayman Island    128nm

We were in Townsville for a couple of days just to re-provision. 2 days is sufficient to get supplies and do any maintenance required without having to rush everywhere. The weather forecast is perfect for us - NE 15-20 knots. We decided to do an overnight sail because there really is not any where to stay along this stretch of the coast when the wind is blowing from a northerly direction.

Leaving Townsville Harbour

We left at 7am and motored out in no wind towards Cape Cleaveland. By the time we got to Cape Cleaveland I had landed a nice spotted mackerel. That meant I had to fillet it while we were motoring in lumpy seas and no wind.
I decided to wait until the breeze came in and we could get some wind in the sail and keep the boat steady.
It was not long and the NE wind started to get stronger and by 11am we were 2 sail reaching down the coast towards the Whitsundays.

Tamara on fish watch. The lines could go off at any minute!!

At about 3pm the lines did go off when we went through a school of Tuna. We had a double hook up but only kept one for sashimi.
The wind died at around 6pm so we had dinner with the sunsetting in a very hazy smoke filled sky.
After dinner  (salad and sashimi) we started our watch keeping roster. I went to sleep for awhile and woke at 10pm and Tamara went to sleep until 3am. I was back on for the dawn shift which I always find easy as sunrise is a great time of the day. I captured this picture of Splash motoring towards Hayman Island at 6am.

Splash motoring into the sunrise- the day has just begun.

We arrived at Blue Pearl Bay at Hayman Island where the sea state was very calm and we were able to pick up a mooring. I had some cereal and fell asleep while Tamara had a cup of tea and went back to bed. We woke at 11am and after a cup of tea I went for a snorkel in the marine park. Conditions were good with at least 15 meter visibility. There were 4 big Maori Wrasses and I had an absolute highlight when I swam alongside a huge turtle. It was so tame it did not try and swim away. I think the divers must feed it on a regular basis. I was able to touch its shell and swim with it.
It is incredible that humans can interact with sea life at close quarters. Marine Parks are great as long as people observe the rules of no take.  The sea life here are so used to snorkellers and divers, they are so friendly. You can get up close to them here where as other reefs that are not in a marine park, the fish are scared and often disappear before you get a good look at them.
After lunch we motored around to Macona Inlet and dropped anchor for the night. It is a large inlet with a sandy bottom and very turquoise water. It is protected from all sides except SW so we are expecting a very good sleep tonight.
We may try fishing for whiting and flat head in the morning. There must be fish here as there was a good school of dolphins chasing them just before sunset.

14th October  Macona Inlet to Whitehaven Beach   17nm

We woke up to a beautiful sunny day after sleeping very peacefully. This inlet reminds me a lot of Pittwater where you can anchor in absolute flat water and get a very peaceful nights sleep.
After breakfast I went fishing with Peter from Splash but we had no luck. At 10am it was coffee and toast and time to go to Whitehaven Beach. Tamara had not been there and being a bright sunny day it was opportune as we may not get a day as sunny as this for awhile.
We arrived with the NE wind light but still a bit of a swell. We decided we would stay there and take a chance that the wind would die in the evening and the waves with it. I don't like anchoring on lee shores, but the wind was not strong and it should drop around 9pm.  We went ashore and walked the beach and had a swim. While there we met some people off a catamaran that were at Lizard Island when we were there. After a conversation they offered us a couple of bags full of tomatoes and zuccinis for Splash and ourselves. The lady had a brother who has a farm in Bowen and he gave a boxful of each and it was unlikely that they would eat them all before they went off.
They were a very welcome addition to the ships stores.
We went to Splash for dinner and Chris cooked a magnificent fish dish with the shark mackerel I supplied. It was called African Baked Fish. Very nice and there was not a bit left after second helpings.

Macona Inlet

15th October  Whitehaven Beach to Chance Bay  4nm

We did not sleep well as the wind did not abate and the tide turned the yacht side ways to the swell so we had a very uncomfortable night sleep. As soon as we had breakfast we raised the anchor and motored through Solway Passage around to Chance Bay where it was flat water.

Chance Bay 

Chance Bay is a good anchorage in northerly winds in sand in about 7meters of water.
We packed a picnic lunch and went ashore. There is a walk to Whitehaven beach from Chance Bay of 3.6kms. We decided to get some exercise so we walked to Whitehaven. When we got there it was blowing hard and the fine white sand was going everywhere. We stayed long enough to eat our sandwiches and walk back to Chance Bay stopping at the lookout to take some pictures across Solway Passage.

Over looking Solway Passage with Hazlewood Island and Chalkies Beach in the background

After a swim we returned to the yachts for a rest. Tamara busied herself preparing the evening meal. Tonight it was a Russian dinner. Pumpkin Ravioli for entree and vegetable ragout with lamb sirloin.
Splash came over and enjoyed it immensely. Peter made the statement that this is not a cooking competition to the girls. I said why not - we are getting magnificent meals!!



16th October   Chance Bay to Whitehaven Beach to Cid Harbour   19nm

The wind died during the night and the sun rose to another great sunny day. We quickly decided it would be good to go to Whitehaven while conditions were so good.
We anchored there and before long, boat load after boatload of tourists arrived.

Whitehaven Paradise

It was a beautiful day as the wind swung from NE to SE which made it a more comfortable anchorage.
However we were not going to stay there as the forecast was for much stronger SE winds tomorrow.
The only safe place was CID Harbour so after lunch we headed off and motored all the way. The SE wind brought with it a smoke filled sky from all the bush fires burning along the coast. You could hardly see the islands.
On arrival we met up with a crew member who had been cruising on Wimaway earlier - Robin and his wife Cynthia. They chartered a catamaran for a week with friends from England. We had sundowners on their boat and caught up on the stories from the last couple of months cruising.
We had dinner on Splash which consisted of  pork chops and potato cooked in a pressure cooker. Another delight.

17th  October   Cid Harbour

The sunny days seem to have gone for a few days as the SE winds increased and brought a sky full of clouds. The temperature had dropped about 5 degrees as well which was quite welcome. After a quick breakfast we went a shore to climb Whitsunday Peak. I had climbed it twice previously but wanted to do it with Tamara. Peter and Chris decided to come along if we took it very slowly. We took our time, taking almost 2 hours to get to the top. It sprinkled a little rain on us while on the top which kept us cool with the wind blowing. Unfortunately with the cloud cover and the haze from the smoke it was not a great view that we had experienced previously.

Tamara on the top of Whitsunday peak

We had a slow decent looking after legs and limbs for Peter and Chris and we returned to the yachts for lunch and an afternoon nap.
We had a quiet night cooking fish for ourselves and no alcohol!!! AFD's are few and far between.


18th October   Cid Harbour

It was not such a quiet night. The wind really came in with gusts over 30 knots. Billabong was shearing from side to side in the strong gusts and with the tide pulling us around in the lulls the yacht was caught side on to the gusts. The anchor chain rubbed on the fibreglass on the bow which was disappointing but little one can do in the middle of the night.
At least I woke up with a clear head!!! Amazing what no alcohol does fore one self. May be I should consider becoming a teatotaller. Would save a lot of money and it would be easier when going to marinas with the re provisioning.
Nup!!! We really enjoy the sundowners.

We had a quiet day catching up on paperwork, paying bills and making lists for re provisioning and maintenance. I tried to fix the BBQ which has a slow leak when turned off. No luck, looks like a new burner etc is required. We can use it but need to disconnect the hose each time.

We were invited to Phase 2 a Seawind Catamaran for drinks at 5pm. We met Warren and Debbie at Lizard Island so we caught up with them on their travels. Also met a Canadian couple who were invited on board. We had a great time in the rain squalls.

After drinks we went to Splash for a fish morney which was just delightfiul.

We went to bed with the wind still blowing strong.

19th Oct   Cid Harbour to Airlie Beach

We woke with the wind still blowing strong. Looked at the weather report and it was still going to be strong wind today.  We are going into the marina today so Tamara can fly home and see Ollie the grandson for 10 days. My friend Peter Russell will join me to assist taking the yacht to Mackay where Tamara will re join us.

I looked up the current wind at Hamilton Island and it is still blowing 30 knots gusting to 35. Looks like we could be in for a bumpy ride.
It was not as bad as I thought as the wind and the tide were travelling in the same direction as us. That makes it easier. We went through Unsafe Passage named by Capt Cook. It is between the Molle Islands. It is aptly named for 18th century sailing vessels but modern day vessels have little trouble navigating this passage.
We arrived in Able Point Marina and paid the dues and had a nice shower and a clean up.

We will be here for a few days to re provision and Tamara flies home for 10 days tomorrow and we pick up a new crew member Peter Russell who will help me take the yacht to Mackay.

Hopefully we will be back on the ocean in 2 days heading south, although the weather forecast may dictate otherwise. Forecast is for strong winds until at least Saturday.

22nd October   Airlie Beach to Cid Harbour

It is good to be back at sea. Tamara left the yacht at Airlie and flew back to see daughter and grandson Ollie. She's happy playing with the baby and baby sitting while Marina and Jerry get to go out and socialise. I guess that is what grand mothers do.
Peter Russell has joined the crew and will help me take the yacht to Mackay where Tamara will re join Billabong.
It was nice to be in Able Point Marina while the strong winds persisted. We ended up staying and extra night  as winds remained above 30 knots.  That enabled us to get some fresh supplies at the Saturday morning markets although we were disappointed with the lack of stalls carrying fresh produce.
I waited in line for a $10 haircut. Mistake. Should not have. The worst haircut I have had in years. I used to have crew cuts up until 10 years of age. A real shocker. They say there is only 2 weeks between a bad haircut. This will be at least a month to grow out.

THAT is what you get for 10 bucks

The forecast is looking better next week so we should easily get down to the southern Whitsunday Islands.
We hope to visit Thomas, Goldsmith, Scawfell and Brampton Islands on the way through to Mackay.

We had a nice relaxing night with Splash coming over for dinner. I cooked the rest of our Spanish Mackerel and had bok choy with it.

23rd Oct   Cid Harbour.

We spent the day at Cid harbour and we climbed Whitsunday Peak. Peter wanted to do it so this was my 4th climb this trip. We made it to the top in 59 mins which had us sweating and puffing.
It is a great climb and always worth it for the view if not just the pure physical exercise.

Peter on the top of the Whitsunday's

After the climb it was back to the yacht for a swim and lunch and an afternoon nap.

We had roast pork for dinner on Splash and caught up with some fellow cruisers which we had met on the way. Lex and Jen on Rambler and John and Alison on Liberty. We met them at Lizard Island and they are on their way south too.

Tomorrow we will attempt to battle the SE wind and get to Thomas Island.
The weather forecast is looking good for the next 5 days after tomorrow so we should have a good time.

24th Oct  Cid Harbour to Thomas Island  27nm

We left Cid Harbour at 9am and motored all the way to Thomas. It was on the nose and did not even allow for a motor sail. The conditions were lighter than forecast so we were not bashing into it. The seas were reasonably flat but we were pushing tide.
We arrived at 2pm and had lunch. Rambler was in the bay and we had drinks on the beach at 5pm with them.
Thomas Island is a very beautiful anchorage. Nice beaches, wooded island, rocks, and an island called Young Tom Island in the middle of the bay.

Young Tom Island 

We could not be bothered about dinner very much so we ended up having eggs and baked beans on toast. It is good to have an average meal for a change.

25th Oct  Thomas Island.

We woke very early after going to bed very early. 8.30pm!! Had nearly 10 hours sleep!
After a quick breakfast I went fishing at the northern end of Young Tom Island in the middle of thr bay. There is quite a deep hole where the tidal stream runs through.
Managed to get some good fish for lunch. A Coral Trout, a Spangled Emperor and a Stripey Perch.
We had a good feed and had to lay down for an afternoon nap.
After the nap I took the dinghy and circumnavigated Thomas Island to explore all the landing points on the Island. It was fantastic and saw some beautiful beaches and landscapes.

It was our turn to cook tonight and we had a green curry of Shark Mackerel from the freezer and Splash came over to help us eat it.

26th Oct  Thomas Island

The weather is perfect. Flat seas, no swell, light SE to NE winds.
After breakfast Peter from Splash and I went fishing and left Peter on the yacht to read.
We went back to our favourite hole off Young Tom Island and managed a good Coral Trout, 3 Spangled Emporer and a Stripey Perch.
We decided to up anchor and go to a bay on the SE corner of the Island that I saw yesterday. It is a good anchorage and well worth the effort to get there.

Blue sky and flat seas make a beautiful anchorage.

Bay on SE corner of Thomas Island

After anchoring we went ashore with the fish and a BBQ plate. On the beautiful beach we gathered drift wood and lit a fire and cooked the fish in al-foil and had wonderful lunch.

20 minutes and they were cooked perfectly. 

 I had dreamed of doing this on this trip but it never happened earlier because there were too many people around and it is illegal to light fires on these islands that are National Parks. This time there was no one to bother us so it happened.

We made do with what we could find on the beach to make a table and seats

After lunch we took the dinghy's to another bay which was delightful but the tide was too low so we could not go ashore. However the coral was fantastic to look at so we just sat in the dinghy's and took pictures.
I can imagine this bay when the water is crystal clear, it would be a great snorkelling bay.

Bay on south side of Thomas

Unfortunately Thomas Island became engulfed by the algal bloom on the run out tide which occurs at this time of the year.
It is ugly stuff on the water and turns the ocean a very brown colour. The clarity of the water is no more than 3 meters which makes it hard to fish as you cannot see the bottom.

On the way back from the bay I trolled a line and as we went past a nice big coral bommie I hooked a beautiful Coral Trout at about 2 kgs. Then going into the bay I caught 2 small Spanish Mackerel.
It was a great day hunting and gathering and I finally realised a goal on this trip of catching a good size Coral Trout.

We went to dinner on Splash and they provided a great dinner of corned beef with white sauce. Just delightful.

27th Oct     Thomas Island to Goldsmith Island   7nm

While conditions at Thomas were still great in the anchorage apart from the algae we decided to go to Goldsmith Island hoping to get away from the stuff. We are reluctant to swim in the stuff so best we try somewhere else.
The wind was under 5 knots so we had to motor and we found the algae all over the ocean. It must play havoc with marine life. I am not sure if this is a naturally occurring event or if it is caused by the super phosphate run off from farms. QLD had massive floods this year and everyone has said the algae bloom has come early this year.

We were anchored at Goldsmith by 12 noon, had lunch (Coral Trout) and went to the beach for a swim. No algae which was pleasant but the water still very milky and hard to see the reefs.

I went for a fish but no luck and lost a few lures. Fishing in QLD is very hard on the gear and you lose plenty. No wonder the tackle shops do so well here.

Splash came over for drinks and we watched a very pretty sun set. It was our turn to cook and we had spaghetti bolognese.

28th Oct  Goldsmith Island to Scawfell Island    29nm

It was a rocky night as the yacht was sideways to the swell and we rolled a bit.
We made the decision to go early to Scawfell as the dreaded red tide (algal bloom) engulfed the bay and we could not swim. As Scawfell Island is a lot further out from the coast we were hoping that the red tide would not be out that far.
The wind was directly on the nose so we motor sailed all the way. The current was with us so we were making good speed over the ground and we arrived at Scawfell Island at 2pm with a nice spotted mackerel to fillet. This fish is destined for an African fish bake which Chris from Splash volunteered to cook.

We had a relaxing afternoon and a swim and there was no red tide. The water was clear although a bit milky from the sediment in the water. The tides were rising and falling in a 5meter band. The tides at this time of the month are highest and create strong currents which pick up the sediment. Not great for diving and snorkelling. But ok for fishing. Peter and I intend to have a big assault on the fish tomorrow.

We had the usual 5pm  drinks and Chris cooked pad Thai noodles.


29th Oct  Scawfell Island

This is a great island. The anchorage is called Refuge Bay and it is safe in all winds except northerlies. Trawlers are often anchored here.

Scawfell Island at very low tide.

After breakfast Peter from Splash and I went fishing and we left the other Peter to read.
We managed to anchor on a reef with a good drop off and caught 12 reef fish including emperors, sweet lips and stripey sea perch.
I cooked up lunch for all 4 of us and we kept some fillets to go with the spotted mackerel for the African fish bake.
We went for a walk on the beach after lunch and met some nice boaties from Mackay who said the green turtles are about to lay their eggs. We went looking for nests but we may be a week to early. They lay now and the young turtles hatch in Jan/Feb.
I would not be surprised if they were about to lay as the bay is full of turtles. We were seeing turtles nearly every 10 minutes.

This is a big Turtle

Turtles every where

For 5pm drinks I made up a batch of rum "painkillers" and we drank them. A nice change from beer and very refreshing with the ice.
The African fish bake was another of Chris's exceptionally delightfully cooked meals. It was absolutely delicious and it is a change from just having grilled fish.

30th Oct  Scawfell Island to Mackay  22nm

It was time to say good bye to Scawfell Island and head off to the joys of a town and marina. Peter will be flying back to Sydney on the same plane Tamara will fly in on. It seems only yesterday that he flew into Proserpine and joined the yacht at Airlie Beach. Time flies when you are enjoying yourself.
Peter is more relaxed than when he arrived which means he has had a good holiday.

Relaxed or what!!!

Tamara has had a great time back in Sydney and Port Stephens. Daughter Marina and grandson Ollie went with Tamara to Port Stephens for 6 days where they had a great time. All is good with the house and the lawn is growing out of control. I must say I am looking forward to getting back to the garden to get it in shape for the summer.

Billabong sailing past Keswick Island on the way into Mackay

We had a great sail into Mackay.
That is until the wind died out. But as it did the fish came on the bite. There were massive schools of mackerel chasing big balls of bait fish. It was not long before we had a big fish on the line. It took 200 meters of line and unfortunately I lost him when he spat the hooks. My fault as I lost the pressure of the line on him and the hooks must not have been set properly.
As I was reeling the line back in I hooked another one. Only small. Once landed we headed off to the marina and on the way in we got another. Much bigger. They were both school mackerel but both good size and good eating.

We arrived at the Marina and filled up with fuel and went to our allocated berths.

We caught up with 2 other yachts that we had been sailing with along the way. Rambler and Liberty so it was great to catch up and have 5 o'clock drinks with them. We invited John and Alison off Liberty for dinner of spaghetti bolognese. This is was dish we had to have as Peter said he could not eat any more fish.

We will be in the marina for a few days as strong winds are coming. We will be here for the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday so we have arranged a get together with other yachties up at the marina tavern where we can have a flutter on the horses and enjoy the festivities of the day when the race that stops the nation. Or is that Qantas's new catch cry!!!

2nd Nov  Mackay Marina

Peter flew out to Sydney on 31st October and Tamara flew in at the same time which was very convenient as we hired a car for the day. Peter enjoyed his time on the yacht and was very relaxed when we put him on the flight. He noted how quick the time went.
Tamara had a great time in Sydney and Port Stephens enjoying being with Marina and Grandson Ollie. Ollie is growing very rapidly and certainly is tall for his age.

Ollie - he's a big boy for 4 months!!

We managed to do our provisioning while we had the car so doing everything is a lot easier when you have your own transport and not at the mercy of public buses.

We are staying another day due to the SE winds still persisting. We could have left mid morning as they eased but the decision was made to stay one more day.
We will relax and enjoy the surrounds and go for a walk.
It was a tough day at the Marina Tavern yesterday with the Melbourne Cup on. There were all sorts there. From those dressed in cup fashion to the ship yard workers covered in grease and smelling like they had not had a shower for weeks. It can only happen in a mining town.
None of our group reported any winnings on the cup and were all disappointed at we had all backed "Drunken Sailor" which should have been a good omen for the amount we sailors drank for the day.
It will be a quiet day and I think it will with out any alcohol.
Our plan for tomorrow is set sail early and get to Middle Percy Island by 4pm so we can go ashore and place our boat plaque in the A frame that is erected on West Beach. This is a stop over for many cruising yachties and it has been tradition for over fifty years to leave a boat plaque with name and date in the A Frame.